Mobile phones, tablet computers, laptops, ultra-books, and other types of mobile electronic devices are becoming increasingly popular as media generating, media retrieving, and media transmitting devices. However, these devices are often not optimal for viewing content because of their small displays and low powered audio outputs. To transmit media data, such as movie clips, pictures, and other types of data, these electronic devices are often connected to other devices such as computer displays, televisions (TV), projectors, and the like. Various interconnecting devices, such as cables and/or various combinations of dongles and cables, may be used for this purpose.
An interconnecting device typically includes two connectors and electrical conductors coupling the terminals of these two connectors. Connectors may be coupled to receptacles of the electronic device, such as its video and/or audio ports, data ports, and the like, or may be coupled to connectors of other interconnecting devices. Multiple cables and dongles are often used in series to interconnect two connectors of electronic devices in order to ensure support of various connection and data transmission standards and/or provide additional functionality.
Various data transmission standards have been recently developed. Some examples include universal serial bus (USB), FireWire, high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI), and others. In order to accommodate each of these standards, dedicated data ports are typically employed in the electronic device. For example, an electronic device that has USB capability typically includes a dedicated port for a USB connector.